Everyone agrees that women and children are the main targets of armed conflic...

Everyone agrees that women and children are the main targets of armed conflict. They make up the majority of refugees and displaced persons in the world. Violence against women and girls is a flagrant violation of human rights. Those responsible for such heinous crimes should be prosecuted and brought to justice. In this area, the Security Council must ensure, through its sanctions committees, a scrupulous respect for international humanitarian law in armed conflict situations and promote capacity-building for States in the area of criminal justice in order to bring an end to impunity. Therefore, peace missions must be equipped with greater operational capabilities for the protection of women and girls. Indeed, the real challenge here is to transform the strategic vision expressed in resolution 1325 (2000) into a tangible reality.